September 4, 2026
Hello and welcome to the Gulf Scholars Program! We are excited to begin our program for the 2026-2027 year as we welcome all the new students. Through the term, we will introduce each scholar here on the website, where they will tell us all about themselves and their work on the Gulf Scholars Program!
This week, we introduce our first scholar: Lillee Crider.
What is your name, hometown and major?
- Lillee Crider, Purvis, MS and Biochemistry
What interests you most about the Gulf Scholars Program?
- The Gulf Scholars Program provides a great opportunity for undergraduates to become involved in Gulf Coast conservation without requiring a substantial amount of background knowledge on the topic. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to be exposed to so many learning opportunities in the program at such an early point in my career.
What are you considering for your Gulf Impact Project?
- When considering ideas for my Gulf Impact Project, I am drawn to the implications of eutrophication for multiple reasons. Eutrophication in the Gulf has many detrimental effects across the southern coastal states of the U.S., whether it be on their respective economies based on commercial fishing, or the very well-being of their coastal habitats. Due to this, I hope to conduct research to help further the knowledge the science community has on the relationship between the Gulf’s health and agricultural trends in northern Mississippi.
What are you most excited to learn more about?
- I am most excited to learn about the various methods and techniques being currently implemented in order to help conserve coastal habitats as well as what measures are being taken to restore the environment to its former state prior to harmful human influence.
What do you want to accomplish by the end of the program?
- By the end of the program I hope to have a better understanding of the large-scale interactions occurring in the Gulf when considering both the ecological and sociological factors dependent upon the health and status of the coastal habitat. After having developed a better understanding of these relationships, I would like to be able to make a positive contribution to the recovery and conservation of the Gulf.
